On a day when another poll showed his support dropping, Tom Horner picked up another two newspaper endorsements Sunday, this time from the St. Paul Pioneer Press and the St. Cloud Times. But if you like your opinions a little more man-bites-doggy, the Mesabi Daily News breaks Horner’s statewide string by picking Mark Dayton.
While the Star Tribune was sending mash notes to Horner all summer, the Pioneer Press has been a bit cagier and I wondered if there was a puncher’s chance they might pick Emmer. The editorial is kind to the nominees: “We have spent time with all three candidates, and find much to admire,” but spends as much space defending Target Corp.’s pro-Emmer donation as touting Horner’s views.
The St. Cloud paper basically says Dayton and Emmer won’t get rivals from other parties to work with them, while hoping Horner will. The editorial dings Dayton as insufficiently committed to reform and questions Emmer’s tax plans.
So what does the Virginia, Minnesota-based Mesabi paper see that every other state paper so far has not? They hate Horner’s clothing-tax plan, expect Dayton to champion the environmentally controversial PolyMet mine, and — counterintuitively to many non-DFLers — expect him to streamline state regulation.
But there’s also good old Range politics. Of Dayton, the paper writes:
He is a longtime friend of rural parts of the state in general, the Iron Range in particular. Rural Minnesotans will not have their issues and concerns fall on an uninterested ear of the person in the governor’s chair if it is occupied by Mark Dayton.
“Man-bites-doggy”?
Erm, David…I *know* it’s important that you shout the good news for Democrats; I get it. But how do you possibly explain ignoring the Minnesota Democrat FAIL of the year?
Yeah, I’m referring to the fact that The Duluth News Trib endorsed Chip Cravaak.
That’s Duluth, Dave…deep blue Duluth, endorsing a Republican…over an 8 term Democrat.
http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/182080/
Cripes, I know this year is going to be devastating to leftists, but can you at least *try* and be informative?
It would be nice if Mr. Swift made a few key observations:
1. This article is about the Governor’s race.
2. The Duluth paper was recently purchased by Forum Communications. The strings are not being pulled from within “deep blue Duluth” anymore.
Actually, ever since the Duluth News Tribune sold itself to the corporation, one could say
it sold its soul and its reduced circulation too I suppose…and politics-wise, DNT is just playing Captain-May-I to the right wing, Fargo Forum.
For Cravaak to be endorsed by the local paper now when it has essentially been reduced to a shopper…Chip C. will be about as respected as a discount coupon in the classified section.
Not much to crow about unless you like ripping coupons.
So, you fellows are saying that the smack-down that was dealt to Oberstar last week, in the self-same Duluth, was what?
A bad dream…a mass hallucination…a holographic image beamed from “The Corporation”?
No. It’s real; and it’s coming to a ballot box near you!
Oh, Swifty — I suppose it’s only to be expected that someone facing backwards can’t see what’s in front of everyone else’s face.
The DNT is not “deep blue.” Neither is the Strib (they’ve given T-Paw glowing reviews and a free ride for 8 years). Any semblence of progressive Minnesota news has long ago been sold across the river and/or state lines.
Actually, the Mesabi endorsement is suprising. They have been very pro-lifey, anti-changy, for many years. I can only take them at their word, re: their reasons for endorsing Dayton. He’s been a good and loyal friend to the Range and its people for many many years.
But did the PiPress really endorse Horner?
It certainly was strangely worded, that’s for sure, by noting the Emmer was the best major-party candidate.
The paper’s editorial board therefore was basically saying that “Horner’s the best candidate, but since a vote for him is wasted, vote Emmer instead.”
That sounds like an endorsement of Emmer to me.